Two Kids and Three Angels

Wicked Uncle Toy Review Programme

2015-09-27T08:45:00.002-07:00

Earlier this year, In May I got invited to apply for my blog to become a toy reviewer for an online toy company, Wicked Uncle.

It was quite a few months till we heard that they would like to give us a voucher to use on the website in exchange for a review, as there have been an over whelming response to their adveristment ( as one would expect ). It was quite near the girls birthdays ( the girls are 9 days apart with a 5 year gap ). So I thought it would be great idea to use the vouchers as gifts from one to the other.

My youngest was going to be 2 and my eldest 7.

Wicked Uncle are not just an online toy company, They are essentially a present service for those special occasions like birthdays and Christmas. The aim of the website is to make that present buying easy for those shopping into gender and ages, as normally this is all you really know about buying a present for a friend or family members child. The website also shows you want is popular for the age and gender you are looking for as well. Easy.

There is a good selection of gift wrap and gift cards to chose from and can be sent straight to the recipient. There is also a pre-filled "thank you " postcard inside so that the recipient can send it back to you.

The website has had much improvements since we ordered the girls gifts. The old site looked dated and was not easy to navigate around and wasn't very eye catching or pulled you in, making the site look very cheap. The range of toys were definitely lacking in all ages and often crossed over.

The new site as I say is much improved. The site looks inviting and easy to navigate around. It looks more modern and with the times. I believe they even looked at different toys they stock too as the range seems bigger than I remember. They have also added a bit to say if the toy is in stock and how many so saves you getting to the checkout and finding it out of stock. It also has a drop down navigation bar at the top of the page, making it easier to go to another category or gender.

The Wicked Uncle site is definitely a website to visit if your looking for that "different" or "unusual" gift for a child. I personally love these kind of toys, possibly as it reminds me of my childhood days when kids actually played with toys, made things and had imagination instead of nowadays where kids are full of computer games.

The toy I chose at the time for my youngest was the 3 in 1 Fire Truck. My youngest loves books and enjoys imaginative play. She is quite advance in her ways too, so I thought this was ideal for her. We weren't disappointed either as LR was so excited when she opened this. Unfortunately my LR is very camera aware and every time I try to video her in this she gets up and has to have her head looking down the camera. So unfortunately I haven't managed to get one yet.

I thought this book was a fab idea, especially as living in a flat we do not have a lot of space. The book easily stores away when not in use and my LR gets 3 toys in 1. She can read the wonderfully illustrated pages of the book telling about how a fire engine helps put out a fire, to using her own cars on the book as play mat, to even setting it up as a 3d fire engine for her to sit in.

Top of the dashboard

The only issue I have with this,is that it isn't very sturdy with the truck in 3d mode. unfortunately my little girl managed to take out one of the straps holding the windscreen in place.
However, it can still be used and I would totally recommend this to any boy or girl who loves fire trucks and book. 9/10 for this. Price is £14.99 and well worth it too.

Right side with opening door

Left side with fixed side walls

For my eldest, at the time of the old website, I felt there wasn't a lot my eldest would like ( please note, the website has been updated and there is a much more choice and range of toys now ). They also share a room, so have to be a little mindful as to what can be put in the room with out her little sister getting hold of it.

Izzy recently learnt about space at school and when I saw the Aurora Northern Light Projector on the website I knew she would love this. I thought as it was a gift from her younger sister it would make bedtime more enjoyable for them both.

The Northern and Southern Light Projector uses multi-colour LEDs in eight different colour modes to display moving aurora lights onto the walls and ceiling of a darkened room. It also comes with a fabulous colour booklet contains further information and images of the Aurora Borealis & Aurora Australis, a great learning tool. It has an auto-shut-off mechanism to save battery life and also great for not having to walk back in the room to turn it off!

I managed to get quite a good video of this whilst putting the girls to bed one night. Its pretty impressive and so relaxing to watch. I would also recommend this to any boy or girl ( or adult ) who enjoys science and would like to experience the "northern and southern lights " at home. This is £26.95 to buy.

What I also like about the Wicked Uncle site is the humour they have behind it. I loved reading there About Us page. Was so refreshing and so "Cool" just like Wicked Uncle.

I will certianly come back to Wicked Uncle to buy gifts again.

*disclaimer - We are no way afflliated to the company, nor were we paid for our reviews and opinions. We were given a complimetry voucher to use on the website and choose our own toys. The reviews and opinions expressed on this blog is purely from my own mouth and not influenced anyway from those at Wicked Uncle.

I feel like I have no "me" time anymore.

2015-09-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

As you my know, my youngest daughter was born with a few minor issues. With suffering from a immature digestive system that gave her lactose intolerance but also Wryneck syndrome causing her to have a FHS.

I also had to go back to work when she was just 4 months old. My previous posts showed the improvements she had made so rapidly. However, I feel I need to apologise to my readers as the lack of time I actually have to myself to even write these days is very hard and so my updates have got lost in time.

My youngest, who is now 2 is still very clingy and suffers from anxiety separation from me when I am home. This makes bed time very hard as she won't leave me side. I feel its my fault that she is so clingy at times, because I am so protective of her and feel guilty I had to leave her with other people at such a young age.

It makes me sad, that I feel all these emotions and it can really wind me up. But for now, I should try and enjoy the time I do have with her when I am home from work (PS I work full time as counter/store manager).

I will write when I can and I hope you will understand, that I can't be a full time blogger, work full time and enjoy the time I do have with my kids. My mission when I started this blog of the backside of my beauty blog was to raise awareness to her conditions, and I wanted to share my journey of my children, write reviews on their products and just purely write for the love. This is still my mission for this blog, I write for the love, not for rewards.

With Love

Rachel and Family x

HSL Greatest Grandparents, Blogger Competition

2015-08-20T23:13:00.001-07:00

Times have changed since our parents, and their own parents were children. Back then the children were looked after typically by their mother whilst the father was the "bread winner".

I remember when I was a child, my dad looked after me for small period of time when he was out of work. We than moved down south to be with my dad's parents, dad got a new job and my parents had my sisters, mum stayed at home most of the time looking after us after than.

Now, with the increase of women working and returning to work, possibly due to the increase in living and the cost of childcare, the grandparents have taken a role in being a huge part of caring for our children of today. This is very true for us, both my other half who is a very skilled print finisher and myself who works in the perfume industry as a counter manager full time find the cost of childcare with an under 3 and a 7 year old quite high at times ( espeically in the summer holidays ).

So when I got approached by a PR company of behalf of HSL Chairs to celebrate the greatness of grandparents and all the wonderful things they do for their grandchildren for a blogger competition to raise awareness, I of course jumped at the chance to take part.

Our families, the girls grandparents do so much for them though out the year. My other half's parents who are much older than my parents and retired now have been providing childcare part time since I went back to work 5 years now to help us with the cost of childcare. Without their support it would not warrant me to go back to work at all, especially as we don't get any help from tax credits. They have also provided my girls with their nappies and baby wipes. When we gone out on a day trip for the girls birthdays, they have always paid for us, even when we have said we would pay.

My family due to them living further a field, can not physically help with week to week childcare and so they have been helping out during the school holidays. Either my mum comes up for a week, one of my sisters has my eldest for a few days, my dad has my eldest for a few days and comes up for a week, and my other half's sister will have my eldest for a few days too.

Part of the blog was for my girls to say why our grandparents are the great to them. As my youngest is just 2, my eldest who is 7 has done a short video whilst staying at her grandads in Cinderford. Unfortunately the sound was missing from the first video my dad sent over and so we had to get them to do another. I have popped both verisons in a movie for their efforts.

We have also included some picture of what they have been doing with grandparents.

Grandad with the girls at Swanage beach

Grandad paid for Isabel to have an art lesson this summer

It comes at no surprise that when HSL Chairs done research in to the role our grandparents play nowadays, that the average UK grandparents can put in more than 600 hours of hard work over the summer holidays looking after their grandchildren. In reality, if our grandparents got paid for their efforts, they would be on a salary of more than £22k! A fun app has been created where you can discover how much your grandparents could be earning, based on how much time they spend doing each activity associated with being a grandparent. The app is available at HSL Chairs

An example of jobs the grandparents do and what they would earn in reality is below to give you an idea of how great grandparents are, and that they should be celebrated.

The average UK’s grandparent’s typical role includes:

· Personal Chef (baking and preparing meals) £29.04 per hour*

· Private Tutor (revision, homework, educating, reading) £23.18 per hour

· House & Grounds Keeper (tidying and cleaning, gardening) £10.01 per hour

· Chauffeur (taking to and from pay dates, activities) £18.64 per hour

· Life Coach (listening to problems, breaking up arguments, keeping the peace) £102.13 per hour

· Private Nurse (helping them wash and dress, giving medication, applying sun-cream etc.) £19.88 per hour

· Event manager (organising and attending trips to theme parks, nature walks, historical sites etc.) £18.89 per hour

· Sports coach (playing sports games, taking to lessons etc.) £27.97 per hour

· Creative Director (crafting, styling, role play) £43.65 per hour

*all average salaries taken from payscale.com.

HSL chairs is the largest back-care chair specialists in the UK, supplying handmade, high-quality furniture for more than 40 years. The company was founded in 1968 in Yorkshire. Currently, HSL has 41 stores across the nation, serving more than 56,000 customers annually. HSL prides itself on being a family-run business which is dedicated to providing a caring service and excellent value for money, whilst providing comfortable back-care furniture which meets customers’ needs perfectly. For more information, visit: http://www.hslchairs.com.

Little ones progress with Flat Head Syndrome and Torticollis

2014-03-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

My little one is now 8 months and as you have known from my posts at the beginning, L-R had suffered from birth with Torticollis which than gave her FSH.

You can read about it if you haven't read the post here

L-R a few days old

Well 8 months on and together using the special pillow we were given to use for her FSH and physiotherapy for her Torticollis, L-R has had much improvement.

We had around 5 physio appointments, together mixed with home exercises to improve her neck movements, strengthening and stretching them. We are hoping the next one will be her last check up due to the improvement she has had.

8 months old

To refresh, L-R's neck was slightly pushed forwards on one side and twisted, giving her favouritism to look to her left rather the right and when sleeping or tired she would rest with a twist on her right shoulder.

At first we were given exercises which she really didn't like, to stretch out and lengthen the right side ( these were also the exercises found in the booklet I got with the FSH pillow ).

As L-R really found this discomforting, we were given exercises though the way we held her, to playing with her on the floor on her side and rocking her from side to side.

Fortunately, L-R loves her feet and with her amazing ability to crawl quickly and now, consistently wanting to be on her feet, jumping or cruising around the furniture. It has helped her neck and head shape wonderfully, that she now has almost full rotation to her right side like she has with her left. L-R also keeps her head more straight without much of a tilt or twist ( unless she is overly tired, then she seems to drop it out of habit ).
Her movement to her right is still slightly dipped when she looks over, again we think this is out of habit now rather than her neck having shortness or tightness now.

L-R head shape, from the FSH, to how her front of her head was is shaping and improving each time, and those who knew her about her condition have commented lately on how well her head looks now.
The only time you can really see a difference is when she looks in a mirror, note it doesn't seem to show when taking a picture. For some reason her reflection in the mirror highlights her features that are out of line more.

The above are the photo shots of L-R head at the beginning and very first weeks of treatment.
The below photo shots are of L-R head now 6 months after treatment started.

Our next appointment is now May, both our physiotherapist and I reckon L-R will be walking by than ( at just 10 months ), as she is already trying to stand alone.
I am so pleased with how L-R has progressed. She seems such a fighter and has such a strong personality. As a parent, I was worried how this would have affected her ability to move her neck, her balance and also how in later life people would look at her. I think the fact she is our second, her progress has been helped a little by her big sister who L-R really does look up to.

I would love to hear from other's who have had babies with the following condition.

tommee tippee New closer to nature soother Competition

2014-03-07T07:01:00.000-08:00

As a follow on from my previous tommee tippee post on their new closer to nature soothers, I am pleased to say I have a couple of sets to giveaway.

I have the following sets and designs to giveaway:

One pack of Night Time Glow in the Dark Soothers

Two packs of Anytime Soothers

If you would like to win a set here is what you need to do to enter.

Comment below to which set you would like - if you would like both types of sets please state.

Send me an email with subject heading tommee tippee soother competition, stating which set or sets you would like to beauty_alchemy-giveaway@yahoo.co.uk

Terms and Conditions:
Open to UK residents only.
draw will take place on the 30 March 2014

tommee tippee, Slient Launch of their New closer to nature Soothers ( PR Event )

2014-02-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

We got asked if would like to attend a silent launch of the new tommee tippee, closer to nature range of soothers and we would be able to attend The BabyShow as well.

I was very excited as this was my first PR event I would be attending, and was thinking about going to this year Babyshow after having my 2nd little girl last July.

Our first never took to soothers, and 5 years ago, soothers were still frowned among. It is amazing how much has actually changed in the 5 years, as soothers are now favoured by midwives and medical professionals as it is thought to help aid sleep and reduce cot death.

Despite this, we actually had used soothers this time round with Lily-Rose being what I call a "sucky" baby who likes to suck. Soothers helped with this, especially when it came to her naps and sleeping in the first few months.

The launch was silent and small, but it didn't need to a big shout all about it, huge presentation. Soothers have been around for decades and although the teat has slightly changed again from the old closer to nature soothers they have replaced. The focus was more about how experience of shopping for soothers was going to be easier.

In their research of mum's shopping experience for soothers, tommee tippee had found mums were struggling to find what they were looking for. this resulted in 1 in 3 mums just buying on impulse.
They also found that a baby's acceptance to soothers were trial and error, resulting in multiple purchases before finding one the baby likes.

The new tommee tippee closer to nature range of soothers have been designed to create a great in-store shopping experience for parents and optimise baby acceptance meaning less time and effort spent on choosing different soothers for the baby to try.

Available from February, the 4 new range of soothers are; Fun, Anytime, Night Time and Air. They feature a new large, long, flat teat ( just like a bottle teat ) that holds easier in a baby's month, which in their tests were accepted first time by more babies ( 68% of babies accepted the new style soother first time, compared to just 43% for the older style closer to nature design - in an independent product trial conducted in the UK by Swift research, Feb'13 ).

I was very impressed with the new packaging. As a mum and someone who has worked in retail as well, the new packaging is definitely more visual and bolder, making it easier and quicker to choose compared to the older packaging.

Old Style

New Style

Below is the difference between the old style teats and the new style teat. The middle picture shows the size difference ( old style in on top, the new style is below ).


New Style

Old Style

A demonstration of a free standing display with some of the New style soothers on.

As you can see, the packaging is much more brighter and bolder, thus easier to see than the older grey style packaging.

Here are some of the new style soothers taken from the event.

The tommee tippee closer to nature new soother range is available now nationwide in Tesco, Mothercare and Asda rrp £4.79 for a twin pack. More information on the entire range can be found at www.tommeetippee.co.uk

The MADS Blog Award 2014 - Nominations are now open!

2014-02-23T08:06:00.000-08:00

There are some of you who are into the social media who would have heard about The MADS blog awards, and those who haven't.

The MADS blog awards celebrate mummy and daddy bloggers who are outstanding in a number of different categories. It's the best way of showing someone you love their blog. Think of your nomination as a virtual, big, squishy hug.

This is the fifth annual Mum and Dad Blog Awards, in association with Parentdish.co.uk, are the UK's biggest and most exciting awards for parent blogs. Last year more than 150,000 nominations and votes were received. This year already 30,000 nominations have been made in less than a week of opening.

This is the first time I, as a mummy blogger can actually be nominated as my other blog ( which is coming up to 4 years of age ) didn't have a category to full under, although it would be great for beauty blogs to be noticed, it hasn't happened yet.

SO I am SUPER and VERY Excited that my new parenting blog which I started last June ( 2013 ) can actually take part this year. I would LOVE you all to nominate my blog and show your love for my ramblings.You've got until March 14th to nominate over on the MAD Blog Awards website.

The categories I would love to be nominated for are:
Best Baby Blog award
Best New Blog

How does it work?

Stage 1- Nominations: Nominations are open, you can nominate blogs in up to 15 different categories and you can nominate a blog in more than one category.

Stage 2 - Voting: Four blogs from each category with the highest nominations and one further blog from each category chosen by the judging panel will make the finals, then voting opens.

Stage 3 - Results: The results of The MAD Blog Awards will be given at a gala awards ceremony in London in September 2014.

If you love my blog, please vote me.

Thank you From Rachel, Lily-Rose and Isabel :-) xxxxx

The H&A Finding Nemo Soft & Gentle Bubbly Bath Review

2014-02-11T08:26:00.002-08:00

As a kid, and as an adult, I loved being in water. Being a competitive swimmer back in the days I spent a lot of time in it. Now I love just love to have a good long shower.

So it is not surprising that both my girl's, Izzy who is 5years and LilyRose who is 7 months are total water babies too. Although you could say it is because they are both July babies and Cancer star signs.

When I found out about the chance to become a tester for H&A's new bath time bubbles, I knew my daughters would love to take part.

Nemo was Izzy favourite film throughout her baby/toddler years, having played it almost everyday, its lucky they invented the BlueRay, otherwise I think the video would have got worn out. Izzy has also been given several Nemo themed presents too - from a cuddle toy, a Nemo shaped pillow and a flannel to name a few.

So when we got a bottle of Finding Nemo Soft & Gentle Bubbly Bath in the post, Izzy immediately wanted a bath.

Bathtime is another great way of the two sisters - who are 5 years apart to actually play and bond together.

Being a big age gap between them, Izzy finds it hard to play and engage with her little sister and doesn't always understands that she can't play with her toys or do things like she can. At bathtime, they are able to play together really well from little splashes to passing the aqua balls to each other and also Izzy helping me wash her little sister.

What is great about H&A's Finding Nemo Soft & Gentle Bubbly Bath, is that it has been formulated to care for your child’s delicate skin, is safe for newborns and so gentle it can be used everyday. This is something I look for in a bath product, so that both my girls can enjoy the bath together.

The H&A Nemo bath bubbles are currently available at major supermarkets for around £1.50 per bottle

Below is a little poem I wrote:

Splish, splosh, splash
Two sisters in the bath
Making bubbles and having a laugh.
Rub a tub dub
H&A are mixing it up
with Nemo and the Ducks
Bathtime bubbles
Makes bedtime less trouble
As our busy day unwinds
It gives our mummy a chance for her "me" time.

You can read more about H&A's new toddler bathtime range on their website here:-
www.handa-uk.com

HEINZ Breakfast Review

2013-12-17T06:22:00.000-08:00

We were given a fab opportunity to test out the new breakfast range by HEINZ.

In the gift pack from Heinz Baby, we got a selection of NEW products from the Heinz breakfast range including:

· Very Berry Porridge breakfast pot x 2

· Banana and Apple Muesli breakfast pot x 2

· Creamy Oat Porridge breakfast pot x 2

· Box of Creamy Oats porridge cereal x 1

· 6 cereals breakfast biscotti x 1

As you know from my posts regards to Lily-Rose, she was diagnosed being lactose intolerant, so since 3 weeks old she has been feed solely on soya milk. We started to wean LR from around 17 weeks, as having a older sibling she was really getting interested in eating food we had. We started on the usual baby rice mixed with her soya milk, then just adding pure fruit to it. I was very keen to try something new but obviously be aware of an reactions as such.

We tried the pots first, beginning with the Banana and Apple Muesli, which she totally loved. The Very Berry Porridge went down well too, even though it says from 6 months the texture is just as smooth as the Banana and Apple. The pots are smooth in texture and great for the first stage of weaning from 4 months onwards. Heinz promise the pots are locked in with goodness with no added sugar, no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives and contains 1 of the 5 aday and calcium for bones.

We used the pots at room temperature and as LR was only taking a few mouthfuls at first, the other half of the pot was put in the fridge for the next morning which was served warm which she loved having either way. Since trying these pots we have actually brought more of them as LR loves them and seems to be tolerating them ok, no symptoms have appeared which is great.

I have been working full time since November, so these pots have been great to stick in her changing bag for her childminder to feed her breakfast, or when we are out and about.

We introduced the breakfast biscotti over the weekend too, only because LR so wanted to eat her big sister's toast. With her constant teething too I think LR liked the texture of the biscuits and as they are soft, LR was able to suck on them and mash them in her month.

I haven't given too many of these yet as she isn't quite there with the weaning in eating finger food. Although definitely intrigued with the idea of holding the food and eating. Her older sister had something similar to this a few years ago too by Heinz which she loved, so will be introducing the biscotti's again throughout her weaning.

Due to LR lactose intolerant we hadn't tried the Creamy Porridge yet as it contains milk powder. We will be trying this out in the New Year when we start to introduce lactose containing products gradually.

I am continuing using these pots as LR loves them and would recommend any parent to try them for her babies too. I know my little one is getting all she needs to have a great start to the day with these pots.
x

Mother and Baby - Bepanthen Challenge

2013-12-12T10:13:00.001-08:00

A few months ago, I was lucky to have been chosen to be one of the mum's to test out the Bepanthen Nappy Rash ointment.

Previously with my first child, 5 years ago, I had just used Sudacreme, so I was definitely up for trying something else.

I used Bepanthen solely for a good two months with most nappy changes to keep her bottom protected.

You can see my review on the Mother and Baby website

Pampers New Baby Sensitive Challenge!

2013-10-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

I entered myself and Lily-Rose into the Pampers New Baby Sensitive Challenge. I was very excited and pleased when we found out we had been chosen.

As you know from my posts about Lily-Rose has a few issues to cope with. Having being diagnosed with Lactose Intolerant, and also torticollis which then gave her Plagiocephaly ( flat head syndrome ).

Lily-Rose was born with Torticollis ( tightness in the right neck and twisted)

All these have caused her some discomfort from day one and with the thought of giving her nappies that are designed to give extra protection and comfort I jumped at the chance to give these a go.

Pampers New Baby Sensitive combine both dryness and softness and contain upto 50% more skin-care ingredients* and a touch of aloe. While New Baby Sensitive nappies are clinically tested to be mild on newborns skin, the super soft fabric offers an all around softness and creates a comfortable and snug feeling.

I now wished we had knew about these when she was born. The difference between the normal New Baby and the Sensitive range is a lot for a baby and I could definitely see and feel the difference myself.

The sensitive ones as I described to my partner and friends felt "fluffy" and super soft compared to the normal ones that felt ridged and tougher. It felt like wrapping her up in a "fresh fluffy white towel".

Sensitive on the Left, Normal on the Left ( with Birdie )

Sensitive on left, Normal on right ( with yellow tabs )

The difference was also noted on Lily-Rose's thigh, hips/waist and tummy as they didn't cause red marks like the normal range did, especially as Lily-Rose has lovely chubby thighs. Her bum feels a lot smoother too, and although she hasn't had nappy rash ( due to properly the fact we have been testing out the Bepanthen and Sudacream as a challenge too ), at a guess I would think it would help with minimising them getting nappy rash too.

Enjoying the Jumproo

Lily-Rose is getting much more active now too, having not enjoyed tummy time for several reasons due to neck problems but knowing she is protected more with these sensitive nappies ensures me she is happy on the outside too.

Lily-Rose with her favorite toys

Lily-Rose loves playing her Jumproo, just like her older sister did, I just hope pampers decide to extend their sensitive range a little further to size 3 in the future.

I have really loved using these nappies, definitely prefered them over the normal New Baby, although they seem a little shorter, as you can see from the photos.

For any new mum whether first time or multi, I would definitely recommend giving these a try.

I was given a months supply, but after two weeks of using them, Lily-Rose has started to grow out of the size 2 and so would be happy to giveaway the rest for a couple of mums to try.

If you would love to try a pack ( I will defintely have two to give away, possible three, so one for each person in Size 2) then drop a comment below with your email, I will then do an old fashion draw with your names in a hat and get my 5 year old to pick the winners out ( I will also video this so you all know it was fair )

“This post and review are part of a sponsored project with BritMums. All opinions are my own.”

For more information on Pampers and their products please visit

www.Pampers.co.uk

@Pampers_UK

Mimos Pillow Review*

2013-10-11T09:07:00.001-07:00

When Lily-Rose was born it was noted that even though she seemed to have a strong neck and was already trying to hold it up, she also had tilt and favoured one side. When she got tired or fell asleep her neck would drop and tilt towards the right neck, and with a twist. When she was awake she would often only look to left and was very hard to get her to look to the right, even when you tried to turn it for her.
It is she has suffered with either, or both the following:

Prematurity - The syndrome is widely seen among new-born babies as they are often unable to turn their head in one direction due to neck pain. This causes the baby to prefer to be positioned on the same side of the skull. Constant pressure causes a flattening of the soft tissues in one spot compared the rest of the babies skull.

Congenital Muscular Torticollis (Wryneck) - one or more of the neck muscles develops a tightness, causing the head to tilt and/or turn. This can result in plagiocephaly as the tightness causes the head to be held in a single position.
In turn this had caused her head to develop Plagiocephaly, widely known as Flat Head Syndrom ( FHS ). Plagiocephaly is the term that is used to describe a diagonal asymmetry across the head shape (see pic 1). This term particularly describes a flattening to one side at the back of the head; this often causes some facial asymmetry (see pic-2).

At around 8 weeks lily-rose developed a very noticeable flattening to her left side of the back of her head. I also noticed her face didn't look right, with her left side of her face looking much fuller than the right. The right side of her face also has a slant ( this isn't very noticeable until pointed out to someone and is much more noticeable when putting a mirror in front of her ).

I made an appointment as soon as noticed the flat head, as the doctors already knew about her neck problems, however, I had to wait two weeks for the doctor to see her. With this I look into both conditions and a company called Mimos, who have designed a special engineered baby pillow for the prevention of flat head syndrome and help preserve your baby's head in a natural way. I contacted the company as told them about lily-rose and would they be happy to allow me to have a sample to review on my blog and also make awareness of this condition. I was really pleased when they said they would.

Taken on the 5th Sept Before Use of Pillow

You can see it here, although the angel i took the photo doesn't show it as bad as it was, as I took this looking down on the flat stop as to taking it like the photos below.

Below is the comparisons from normal to different types of FHS.

Now its okay for a health professional you see ( i.e midwife, health visitor, doctor ) to contantly tell you to put your baby on his/her tummy " tummy time ". But not all babies enjoy this, to which unlike her elder sister, lily-rose didn't like and this could also be linked to her digestive problem. Due to this, lily-rose spend a lot of time on her back playing ( which she also didn't really like ) or in her swing, or bouncer chair. This in turn can cause a lot of pressure on the babies soft head, causing the head to flatten out.

The Mimos pillow is designed to give 400% less pressure on the head when laying flat.

A flat surface gives a constant high

Mimos pillow gives better pressure distribution

It also allows 180° free rotation of the head and neck as Free rotation is extremely important in the prevention of asymmetry in neck muscle tightness and flat head syndrome (deformational Plagiocephaly).

The "pillow" is Medical Class 1 Approved Baby Pillow. CE Certification Class 1 Medical Device – European Authority Approved.

It is also TUV Safety Certified completely safe for babies of all ages, which means it is Anti-Suffocation, 100% breathable. 94% of the pillow volume is air. Mimos provides a restful good night's sleep without the worry of suffocation risk in baby's.

More information on the Mimos Baby Pillow please click here


Taken 2 weeks after using the pillow	, 18th Sept

We use the pillow almost anytime lily-rose is on her back, whether it is sleeping her moses basket/ cot or playing, and if possible in her pram too.

Steps have been put in place too to help with her neck regards to physio and they are keeping an eye on her FH and face.

We love the pillow and saw a difference within 2 weeks of using it, even the doctor was impressed and asked for information regards to Mimos ( to which I passed Mimos my doctors details on as they agreed to send her some samples to use at work ).

Below are the before and a recent picture of lily-rose's head. I have tried to do it in a similar position to show its affects.

Taken 10th Oct

Before pillow

Here are the pictures of her head from looking down - one 2 weeks of usage and a month after usage.

18th Sept

11th Oct

Early prevention can help with techniques like " tummy time" if your baby likes it, how you carry your baby, minimising car seat/ bouncy chair time, and day to day positioning can preserve your baby's head shape, with the help of Mimos Pillow. I am glad and very grateful to have spotted this rather early and for mimos to have allowed us to sample their pillow. As you can see, from early diagnosis and using the pillow, the results have been fabulous quick.

You can purchase a Mimos Baby Pillow direct from them via their website or phone.

Mimos is also on Twitter

The Big Christmas Wishlist

2013-10-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

With having two kids now, two girls aged 3 months ( July 2013 ) and 5 years ( July 2008 ), I thought it would be great for us to enter a competition to become a toy tester. We haven't tested toys before and so this would be a wonderful opportuinty for the girls and I to do.

So I have entered into

The Big Christmas Wishlist blogger competition:

Win up to 300 pound in Toys for under the Christmas Tree

and become the 1 of the first 5 selected Toy Toad Testers for 2014

As mum I am very keen on chosing products that are as natural and eithical as possible. When it comes to toys I choose products that are built well and to last, but are also safe. I look for toys that will help my children to build skills, gives them creativity and use imagination.

I find bright, colourful objects captures their attention and different textures stimulate them.

Our list includes my wishes for my youngest and wishes that my eldest has chosen, as well as ones I feel would be great for them.

Dear Father Christmas,

We would love to become ToadStools 2014 toy tester's. My sister and I love playing and trying out new things and telling our friends about them. We have been very good, and promise to share our experiences though mummy's blog and you tube videos. As always we will leave you a drink and mince pie and carrots for your raindeers.

Make a video of your own at Animoto.

With Lots of Love

Isabel and Lily-Rose

My first wish is for Lily-Rose ( my youngest ). I chosen this due to its name Lilliputiens Rose ( obvioulsy as my daughters name is Lily-Rose ). I was also atrracted to how beauitful the play mat is and with lily-rose having trouble with enjoying "tummy time " at the moment due to her neck condition and problems with her digestive system, I thought this wonderful colourful playmat to help her. As she is also starting to sit up on her own it be a fab mat for her to play whislt sitting as well.

Each patel has something different for her to explore and stimulating her sense's. As it is open plan, it also means my eldest can play with her.

My second wish is for our eldest, Isabel. She loves puzzles and loves the challenge of doing them. I have chosen this particular one as it will help her learn about the world whilst having the challenge to complete the puzzle. Janod Childrens Blue Planet Puzzle.

JANOD HAT BOXED DOUBLESIDED PUZZLE BLUE PLANET (208 pieces) - See more at: http://thetoadstool.co.uk/janod-hat-boxed-doublesided-puzzle-blue-planet.html?__hstc=85395398.5feb553bb5e2092f99c09d3af796838d.1377869297089.1377869297089.1379066526098.2&__hssc=85395398.4.1379066526098#sthash.bYanHfv9.dpuf

Gigamix Katamino Wooden Board Game is my own chosen wish for our eldest. I love tetris and this game instantly drew me in. The game involves her thinking how the shapes fit in together. Not only will it help build her concentration which she tends to have a problem with but give her the stimulaton of problem solving which she loves to do.

I can see us a family using this as well as it looks so fun.

I posted the video here to show you how it works. I love it and can see us using it a lot for hours of fun.

LILLIPUTIENS ECODOUX - TOM THE TIGER ACTIVITY CUBE

Tom the tiger cuddle puppet by Lilliputiens is my 2nd choice for lily-rose. Lily-rose just like any other baby is very inquestive. I love that she can play peek-a-boo with the tiger and what looks like a dog, whilst exploreing patterns, textures and shapes.

The block is beautifully coloured and looks really interesting with the different patterns. I know she will love exploring her self in the mirror too.

Tom the tiger cuddle puppet by Lilliputiens.

This wish is for both my children as I thought this would be a great way of them being able to play with each other. Isabel can teach lily-rose the story whilst acting it out. Lily-rose can explore the different textures too as well as enjoy storytime with her big sister.


LILLIPUTIENS WOLF HAND PUPPET WITH 3 LITTLE PIGS FINGER PUPPETS AND THEIR HOUSES

GIGAMIC GAME - KATAMINO

Isabel has wished for the Marionette Fairy Puppet. Using the puppets strings, Isabel would enjoy making the fairy dance around just like she does. It be a great enterainer for lily-rose to watching her sister using the puppet and even making up stories/performances with the puppet for her.

Isabel also chose the Haba's Little Orchard Game. We don't have a garden as we live in a flat as she loves flowers and trees, so this game instantly brought her attention. The game sounds fun, collecting cherries before the crow does. It will feel like we have brought the outdoors, indoors.

I loved the look of this teething ring. Its different from the usual plastic, just shapes and colour teething rings you get. As a second time parent, I remember how teething can be horrible, and having a lullaby attached to the teething ring sounds like a fab idea to help soothe, whilst the different textures will keep lily-rose distracted as well.

LILLIPUTIENS LIZ MUSICAL BALLOON AND TEETHING RING

My wish for both the children to share is the Liliputiens Liz and The Ladybird Growth Chart. Not only will it look fab in the girls bedroom which as I am sure most girls bedrooms are, is a soft bubble gum pink, with delicate butterflies placed around the room. It be a fun way to watch both our children grow. With three detchable markers, it means we can watch both children grow at the same time.

Finally the last wish is for all of us. We don't have many games we can play with as a family and I love the concept of Rory's Story Cubes. Bringing the whole family together to get our imagination and creavity going and telling our own stories.

Haba Little orchard game

The Mother & Baby Shortlist 2014 *

2013-10-07T05:02:00.002-07:00

I was very lucking to have been chosen to test and review some products for the Mother&Baby Awards 2014.

I am also very pleased to see some of the products I tested out are in the shortlist. The ones I tested out are highlighted in Pink.

Although I am no longer breastfeeding my little one due to her having a lactose intolerance, we are still using the two Theraline pillows as a family ( we use Theraline The Original Pregnancy & Feeding Pillow which is a lovely big beanbag type pillow on our bed and LO uses the pillow as support to sit up or tummy time)

Best Breastfeeding Bra/Top or Accessory

breastvest
Cantaloop Adjustable Drop Cup Feeding/Nursing Bra
Feed Me Mummy Breastfeeding Vest
Frugi Organic Cotton Breastfeeding Pointelle Top
LOVE MILK Washable Nursing Pads
Mamascarf - the original breastfeeding scarf
My Tummy Breastfeeding blouse with long sleeves pink.
Seraphine Breastfeeding shawl

Best Maternity Product

Belief Bump Baby The Birth CD

My Tummy Pregnancy t-shirt with a smiley, V-neck, grey.

My Tummy Pregnancy t-shirt with bee on a leaf, V-neck.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Tummy Butter for Stretch Marks

The Birthing Shirt Company The Bamboo Birthing Shirt

Theraline The Original Pregnancy & Feeding Pillow

Tesco Mum 10 Maternity Towels

dreamgenii Pregnancy Support Pillow

Best New Mum/ Maternity Skincare Product

Aleva Naturals Nursing Balm
Bio-Oil
Champneys Blissful Bump Stretch Mark Body Oil
Cussons Mum & Me Bump - Stretch Mark Cream
Cussons Mum & Me New Mum - Stretch Mark Fader
Love Boo Miracle Oil
Love Boo Soft & Creamy Body Smoother
nspa Mum to be Moisturising Bump Butter
nspa Mum to be Nourising Stretch Mark Oil
nspa Mum to be Soothing Nipple Balm
Shea Mooti Mama's Everything Body Balm

Best Product for Breastfeeding

Ameda Lactaline Double Electric Breastpump
ARDO Calypso Electric Breastpump
baroo beige stars nursing pillow
Lansinoh Affinity Pro 2in1 Electric Breast Pump
Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads
Lansinoh HPA® Lanolin
Lansinoh Therapearl 3in1 Hot or Cold Breast Therapy
Theraline Plushy Moon
Tutti Bambini Fleur - Nursing Glider Chair

Tangle Teezer - A no more tears comb!

2013-10-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

This post has come from my first blog, which I set up 4 years ago - Beauty Alchemy. The comb was fairly new to the market back than and since than it has become a very well known comb within the salon and in your homes, and their catalogue has become more dense.

I am really happy to announce that Tangle Teezer is happy for me to review some of their new products/designs on the Tangle Teezer.

For now you can read my first review on the original Tangle Teezer

http://beautyalchemy.blogspot.com/2011/05/essential-comb-for-kids-and-big-kids.html

Here is a sneak preview of their new products I will be reviewing with my daughter ( who is a massive fan of Tangle Teezer )

The Compact Styler The Magic Flowerpot

Aqua Splash

Teach your kid to read in 5 weeks

2013-09-27T05:51:00.000-07:00

Be quick to register for this, the free trial ends on the 30th Sept. I have just entered, as my 5 year old is finding reading boring at times her concentration is very limited. I am going to give this a go and see if her reading improves - worth a shot!

I post at the end of each week to monitor her progress.

The Graco Sky Review - The final week

2013-09-26T05:03:00.001-07:00

It's our final week of testing out the New Graco pushchair and travel system, The Sky.

When we got the pushchair, our little one was just 6 weeks old, so we have mainly used it in the "baby nest mode" when out walking or used the infant car seat as a travel system when using the car.

When I found out I was one of the chosen 5 to test out the Sky, I was so excited. I had previously been given a Graco 5 years ago with my first born, but living in a flat, I found it too bulky and heavy so we didn't have it for very long. Testing out the Sky gave me the opportunity to try out Graco again, and I got to say alot has improved in those 5 years as you would expect.

When putting the Sky together I had noticed how slim and light weight the pushchair was. As it came together I was even more pleased they still had the huge shopping basket but the frame was very much stylish, modern and sleek, everything seemed to have ticked my boxes so far.

with seat attached

without seat attached

It didn't stop there with the compact design! I could finally store this Graco without taking up too much space! This was very important due to living in such a small space ( we live in a 2 bed apartment on the 2nd floor ). The frame folds away really compact whether you fold it down with or without the chair on it and so will hide in a small closet or in a corner without taking up too much space.

You be pleased that sleek and lightweight frame also gives you the feel of a great build quality too. Its very sturdy, making it feel it was built to last for years, which if you were to use this from birth to approx 4 years as it designed for, you would want it to.

Front facing for upto 4 Years

"Baby Nest Mode" Foot Rest Converted

The pushchair is easy to convert into the "baby nest mode" by simply making a few adjustments to the foot rest and the adjoining sides. This is done by folding up the foot rest and using the flaps that are tucked away on the sides, and wrapping them around the foot rest, securing in place with Velcro. The pushchair back is than fully reclined back so the baby can than lie flat.

The hood if you wish can be opened fully too, giving it a carry cot look to it.

To covert it into a travel system is so easy as well. There is a special base adaptor used only for the frame, so needs to be removed when using the car base. The adaptor simply clicks into the frame and the seat again just clicks on top. To remove is just like removing it from the car base, just lift the red lever at the back of the car seat and lift off, "simples".

As for using it in the car, my preference is using the car seat base, as found it felt much more secure and so much easier in general as you just click in and lift off once the base is installed permanently in the car. Where as using it just with seat belts you have to install it everytime, which can be time consuming.

I have posted up a video on you tube in how to install the base and how easy it is converting into a travel system.

I have had many very positive comments about the Sky on our travels, mostly about how gorgeous the Sky looks and I think the Purple really makes the pushchair stand out. It definitely likes having it photo taken!

I have been very pleased with the Sky and can not seem to find any faults about it. The frame is very light weight, easy to use and very well built. I have enjoyed using the Sky and it has made me think more about buying Graco products now.

I would certainly recommend this to any parent to be, but definitely consider if like me you live in a small space property. The price makes it very affordable too.

Graco Sky Travel System and the Ford Fiesta

2013-09-24T05:41:00.002-07:00

Ok so I thought I do my next post on the Graco Sky on taking it out in the car and using the car seat.

We have a Ford Fiesta, in terms of boot space it didn't have much difference from our previous BMW 316 strangely enough. I was very intriged to see how the Sky would fit in our car, as with our other buggy we have to remove the rear wheels of the frame in order to fit it in.

The Sky is pretty much the same, taking up almost the same amount of space, however it will fit without taking any of the wheels of, if placed in a certain way. See picture below

As we are using the car seat to use with the Sky frame when about, as L-R is just 11 weeks old, I am not too certian about how the chair side of the pushchair will fit in the boot as well as the frame. We had a brief look at it and seemed we would have trouble. I will however, up date you on this when we come to using it when L-R gets older.

Using the Sky as a travel system, definitely makes things so much easier when you have a newborn and older child ( even if you have just your newborn too ). The frame is so easy to fold and unfold, with almost both actions using just one hand!

Car Seat with the Base for the Sky Frame

The car seat easily clicks into the frame with just a click, by using the car seat base ( for the frame only ). The car seat frame can be left on the frame as the car seat lifts off just the same way as lifing it off from the car seat base in the car.

We tried using the old fashion way of securing the car seat in the car by just using the seat belts, but both me and my partner didn't feel it was that secure. That is not saying it isn't but we are used to using a car seat base with our other car seat. So we got the base to go with the car seat and it does make a difference.
It felt more solid and secure using the base, but again that is just our opinion and preference.

Using the car seat base also makes life a lot easier, as it simply just clicks in, and the lifts out when lifting up the lever at the back of the car seat. So if it raining, or you got other children you haven't got to spend time striping the car seat to the car using the seat belts.

I have made a video in how to install the car seat base, and using the car seat as a travel system. Please note it very important to insure the car seat base is fully ridged and secured by the seat belts, that your knee is pressed down on the car seat base to apply pressure so you can really tighten up the seat belts. Get your partner to do this is necessary.

Nonabox, A new Subscription for mums and babies.

2013-09-23T06:15:00.001-07:00

I recently subscriped to a new subscription box but instead of a beauty one for me, It is a box for my baby girl. For just £25 a month, we get to try products that are catered for my baby's age, and the majority are full size products too, so worth every penny, as you don't get that with beauty box's!

Just launched this July - First box was sent out Sept, The Nonabox provides to give you the best products for your pregnancy to your baby till the age of 2.

I was really looking forward to recieving one of the boxes for my baby girl. I love trying out new products and its great that we can do this together. I was very pleased with what we had in our box, and each product was a new find for us.

As we were one of the 1st 1000 subscribers we received the bonus gift of the Cloud B - Sheep

The box as you can see is a gorgeous liliac and beautiful wrapped.

It felt really lovely and special opening the box and seeing its contains. I was definitey not disappointed and was pleased with all the products my baby received.

Okay so here is what we receieved in our Sept Box:

A Cloud B Sheep -

Sleep Sheep Aroma Pillows are adorable plush toys that double as a relaxing sleep time pillow. The removable scent pouch with a soothing lavender aroma calms children to sleep and is the perfect size for at home or on the go.

Gumigem - Teething Jewellery

Stylish, practical teething jewellery and toys that provide a modern solution to an age old problem. Made of non toxic, washable silicone so ideal for sore aching gums. Jewellery is perfect for breastfeeding, baby wearing and keeping little ones entertained when sitting on your knee. A handy teether that cannot be dropped.

MAM - Night Soother - It GLOWS in the dark!

MAM - Anti-colic Bottle

For over 35 years, MAM have been developing products along with experts from medicine & research that are unique in function and design, support the individual development of every child and make everyday baby life easier. The combination of style, technological innovation and medical know-how produces unique premium products. This makes MAM the leading designer brand for baby accessories.

Waterwipes

99.9% purified water, 0.1% fruit extract, nothing else - the world's purest baby wipes. Suitable from birth. WaterWipes help avoid nappy rash or other skin sensitisation problems. WaterWipes : the convenience of baby wipes with the absolute purity and efficacy of cotton wool and water. Neonatal, midwives and paediatricians experts recommend WaterWipes

Crawlerz

Crawlerz are an innovative new brand just launched in the UK. Crawlerz range of safety driven Rompers with incorporated Anti-Slip Safety Grip down the legs, toes and underfoot of the Romper are designed to actively promote your baby’s development whilst providing Anti-Slip protection to your little ones.

Bibetta - Neoprene Bib

Brighten your baby’s world with Bibetta’s funky range of infant essentials Liven-up your baby’s mealtimes and changing bag- plus prevent dribble-sodden clothes- with a colourful dash of designer cool.

I would definitely recommend subscribing to a box - or even give one as a gift to an expectant mum or already mum. - Maybe babies first birthday gift? Baby Shower Gift? For £25 and Free P&P, I am sure they will love it.I will do a seperate review on the products, as I use them. My baby girl is just 11 weeks, so the bib and teething ring, I can not review at present. Due to my baby's condition with her neck and head, she can not use the sheep as a pillow, but we have it in her cot as a teddy at present. However, I already used the MAM products and Waterwipes and will posting these up very soon xxxx

Its like talking to a brick wall!

2013-09-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

Why is it that kids just do not listen to you?

The amount of times we have spoken about the same thing to our eldest over the last few months is unbelievable. Whether it is about eating her lunch at school, her behaviour at home, the list is growing longer.

We don't shout at her. We sit and have a conversation, but it seems that she just sits and switches off as when it comes to ask her what we have said, the answer is " I don't know" or she has just heard parts of it, or what she wants to hear. It's like talking to a brick wall!

To be honest, it is really getting to us now. Consistently battling with her is quite tiresome. Yet I look at other kids, and to be fair, she isn't that bad compared to others. But what do you do?

For 5 years she has had us and her grandparents to herself. Probably been spoilt too much, especially when we were struggling to have another with 3 miscarriages before our new addition arrived this July, just 9 days after our eldest birthday. So is this the problem? Has she been spoilt too much, is she feeling left out?

We have tried everything we can think of, to help. We have set rewards for good behaviour, we have taken things away if bad. We done loads of talking to try and get to the root of things but nothing is working.

We involve her loads in helping with little sister, feeding, bathing etc and there is no doubt how much she loves her little sister. We ask her what she would like in her lunch box, but nothing seems to get her to learn and change her behaviour.

Is this typical of an older sibling? I would so love to hear from other mums and dads, and how you tackled this situation.

Graco Sky Guest Review on @theplayroom

2013-09-06T04:29:00.003-07:00

Ok so I have now had the new Graco Sky for 2 weeks and we are really liking the pushchair.

As part of the competition, one of last years reviewers have kindly allowed me to guest post on her blog.

So head over to @theplayroom for my review so far on the stylish Graco Sky in Purple Shadow - it is a head turner.

The Graco Sky is now available at Babies R Us for a very good price of just £249.99

Kids and Head Lice - A solution that works

2013-08-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

If your child goes to nursery, pre-school or school, like me no doubt you will worry about whether your kid will get head lice. Unfortunately it is something that seems to happen with kids being in close contact with each other.

My memories of head lice as a kid was actually with my sister getting them, Constantly. My mum despite using properly everything that is supposed to kill head lice didn't work ( this is going back a good 20 years ago if not more ). All I remember is one day my sister had long curly blonde hair, to going to school the next day with very short ( and I mean very short ) hair which than grew back straight and dark. However, my mum's radical hair fix must of worked as I don't remember her getting them after that.

Now I am not telling you to shave your kids hair off, nor advise to do such a radical thing. I have always been in to natural products and just like citronella works with keeping bugs at bay. I believe tea tree does this with head lice too. I have been using tea tree for a long time before I had my kids on my cat ( who is a long haired cat, so needs grooming ), not only does it cleanses her leaving her smelling more pleasent, it keeps fleas at bay.
You can make your own shampoo and conditioner if you like with tea tree, but for a quick and relatively cheap I use the Vosene shampoo and conditioner.

This 3 in 1 shampoo gently cleanses & conditions kids' hair & scalp for naturally healthy hair. The specially formulated Conditioning Shampoo has natural Tea Tree oil & Lemon Eucalyptus to help keep head lice at bay. It is also suitable for the whole family to clean, condition & help prevent head lice.

I do find however, that on long hair it does leave the hair a little knoty and will definitely need an extra conditioner of choice or use the leave in conditioner. The conditioner can also be used on dry hair.

My eldest class had a case of head lice just before end of the year, and I was very pleased that stepping this up to using it every day and as she has long hair we tied it up, we managed only to catch just one lice and a few eggs.

A good comb is vitual too and I hate the normal nit combs, to me I can not see how they can actually work unless you have the live parents as the teeth are too spaced apart. I spent a little bit more and brought the Nitty Gritty Nit Comb.The comb quickly and easily removes not only head lice and unsightly nits (empty egg cases) but also extracts 'live' head louse eggs before they hatch using their special MicroSpiral grooves. The spirals grab even the smallest of the eggs and right from the scalp too.

So another year at school ahead, lets see if we can keep those bugs at bay. Our childrens heads will shout hurray!

Assembling the Graco Sky Pushchair

2013-08-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

I had some fun whilst assembling the New Graco Sky Pushchair. I thought it would be great to do something different and compose a video.

I was thinking of trying to actually record the assemble but it didn't quite work out that way. So I decided to take clips and put them all together in a seamless video.

Assembling was rather easy and quick, with the instructions being pretty much okay to understand. Although the part with the pin to insert into the rear wheel holder baffled me for a little while as I couldn't see at first where the diagram in the instructions were telling me to put it. Any way after about 3 Min's I found where it had to go.

So here is my first video,

and here is the assembled SKY in Purple Shadow

NEW Graco Sky Pushchair - I am a reviewer

2013-08-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

I recently entered a competition on the Graco Facebook page, to be come a tester for their New Pushchair - SKY.

Well I didn't think I would stand a chance in getting chosen, so when I received the phone call on Monday, I couldn't believe I had been picked. I am SO EXCITED to receive and give this travel system pushchair and car seat a good test out.

There are just 5 of us that have been chosen, and we have a little challenge to do with the end result one of us will become a Graco Ambassador!

We were give then choice of the 3 colours to choose from and as I have a baby girl, and my usual pushchair is all black ( as my partner wouldn't let me have a girlie colour ), I had to go for the Purple Shadow. The other two colours I believe are Sea Pine ( a teal colour ) and a Black.

The pushchair arrived today, which is fab as we have plans for the Bank Holiday giving a lovely chance to use the car seat as well as the pushchair. I am definitely looking forward to seeing how the pushchair fits in our Ford Fiesta, as our usual pushchair just about fits in the small boot and that is with taking one of the wheels off ( I have a Quinny for those who wondered why I can take the wheel off and to give you and idea how small the boot space is ).

Ok, so you would like to see the pushchair?? Here is a first glimpse of the Sky Pushchair.

A how to assemble post will follow - and you can see how lovely the Purple Shadow colour is on this pushchair.

.facebook.com/GracoBaby
twitter.com/GracoBaby_UK

2013-08-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure which blog to put this on, so I decided to put it on both.

I was very lucky to have received for just 2 weeks, a Nokia Lumia 925 to test and review. I was shortly due my upgrade ( July ) and although my first phone was a Nokia and for many years after I was Nokia fan. The last 8 years, I have had other brands due to the fact I felt other brands were more advanced, stylish and head of the game.

Whilst I was looking around for a new phone, my current which I have had for the 24month contract is the Samsung Galaxy S2, I stumbled across the opportunity to test a Nokia lumia of a choice of models. As the 925 was the latest and I am very much into having a good camera on the phone, I choose this model. I wanted to fall in love with Nokia again, a phone manufacture that brought me my first phone.

And I have got to say, I am not disappointed. Nokia certainly has up'd their game again in both style and the technology behind the interface.

I really like the sleek design of the Lumia which is signature to the Lumia family. One thing that put me off the new Galaxy's S3 and 4 were they became to rounded for my liking ( I prefer edges to my technology, even though I am a women, I like manly edges and not girlie curves, for instance I love the Pagni Zonda but not a Porshe fan ).
What strike me first and I have seen the pixels of the newer Galaxy's is that the picture resolution is so liquid like, smooth and very clear and bright. I also loved the user screen just like you have on your PC or Laptop.
Although the phone has a wizard to guide you though, I actually found the phone really easy to use, apart from the camera took my a few goes to get used to it as it was different in the way it responds to than my Galaxy ( I will talk more about the camera in a moment ).

One of my favourite apps on the phone installed and if your mother like me, you going to love this about the Lumia, is the Kids Corner. If you have kids, you know they love to play with your phone. You give them apps for them to use but manage to get on the Internet, and accidentally pay for something. This is the thing of the past with Kids Corner! Your child can access the games, apps, music and videos that you’ve already chosen for them, yet everything else on the phone is out of bounds, with only a password allowing access.
And the best bit - is the can not make calls or download anything whilst in Kid's Corner.

Unlike my Galaxy S2 whom had many Home Screen's that gets filled with apps or widgets, the Nokia Lumia has just one Home Screen just like the Windows 8 Home Screen on your PC. This can be tailored to your own preference but as I was just loaning the phone for 2 weeks, I didn't bother doing this. I also like the tidiness of the Nokia/Windows format of folders rather than screens and screens of again apps that you have to scroll though. Instead your apps are in the apps folder.

Other features I like was the Family Room, again a feature I didn't really get to explore. Basically you can set up rooms with your contacts to privately share calenders, photos, group chats and notes in one place.

The feature that I was very keen on though, and one that influences me buying a phone was the camera. As I mentioned above, it did take me a little while to get used to it as it was so different to the Samsung phones that I have been using for a few years now. However, once I got my head around it, it worked fantastically and I loved using it. I really wanted to try as much of this out as I could as I was to covert back to Nokia, the camera would be its biggest influence.
Will the first thing is the advert you have seen on TV regards to taking the best shots in poor light conditions or at night, I confirm is true. Here are two photos I took in my bathroom to create the poor light condition ( as my en suite hasn't got windows ).

The darker image is from my Galaxy S2
The lighter image is from the Nokia

This wasn't the only great feature about the phone. It was also able to capture really good moving pictures. Different lens can be downloaded too, some are free and some you have to pay for. Here are some pictures I took with the Nokia using different lens.

All I can say is that I was very impressed with the Lumia 925, I was going to upgrade to the Galaxy S4 Zoom. However, I found out that Nokia are releasing a camera phone that reviews on it have been in more favour to the Nokia than the Samsung. The Nokia Lumia 1020 is due for release this Sept, and I am patiently awaiting for it. Thank You Nokia for making me fall back in love with you.